“Hello World” is usually the first thing a fledgling coder will type out. “Hello World” is a string, and manipulating it was one of the first small accomplishments of my coding journey.

I’m Olu and I’m currently attempting to become a part of the world of technology and digital. Today, Fluency accepted me to do Get Digital, and in January I’m starting a coding course with Founders and Coders. I’m ecstatic that I have the opportunity to show what I can do, and to learn so much from wonderful, talented people.

My excitement may be confusing. You did a computer science degree of course, how else could you go into coding? Perhaps surprisingly, I did a philosophy degree at undergraduate level. I think this gives me a unique point of view, poised as I am between the two worlds that use the human mind in similar, yet distinct ways. They are siblings and in no way twins.

I became interested in technology from quite a young age. I took apart a CD player and an electronic dog I got for Christmas, much to my mother’s chagrin. Later, I installed the family dial-up and immediately transfixed by the web. Computers and the internet are as much a part of the fabric of my life as my family and friends. That’s rather grandiose but I want to do everything I can to further my knowledge and involvement.

This raises the question of why I want to be a full stack web developer in particular. I think being instrumental in the actual building of webpages is something that has been dear to me for a long time. It began when I first used HTML and CSS to edit a page on a gaming website (Neopets, if you must know). The first time I viewed source code using an online app that teaches web concepts, called Skillcrush. Astounded by both the seeming complexity and how open the web is, I wanted to do more to make it accessible to anyone who wants to learn.

At the moment I’m teaching myself to code. I am also doing the rudiments of digital marketing, and the history of the internet. I feel out of my depth with the marketing but I did only start it recently. In regards to the coding, Ruby is my first love but I’ve been learning Javascript and trying to ‘master’ HTML and CSS. That just means I attempt to remember the little idiosyncrasies. I’ve also cast my eye over Python. I felt it was best to concentrate on one language at a time, at the advice of several computer science students.

In any case, even if my dream of becoming a full stack web developer doesn’t come true, I’ll involve myself in tech in some capacity. I’d love to help to build a website or app from the ground up, but there are countless other roles that are just as instrumental.